The present invention relates generally to barricades for controlling vehicular and foot traffic by providing a barrier which acts as a visual warning as well as physically obstructing passage to hazardous areas.
Portable traffic barricades are used at road maintenance and construction sites, for example, so as to provide a warning to motorists and allow them to avoid the barricaded area. They are also used in pedestrian areas to provide a warning of construction and other hazards and to indicate an alternative pathway for foot traffic. Traffic barricades are generally of the fixed or collapsible A-frame type. Collapsible traffic barricades typically comprise a pair of panels which are hinged together at their upper ends and which carry reflective strips or signs.
Warning lights may also be mounted on the barricades. Known barricades are typically made out of wood, steel or plastic. The disadvantage of wood and steel barricades is that they are likely to cause significant damage to vehicles which accidentally impact the barricade structure, as well as injury and possible loss of life to occupants of vehicles impacting the barricades, as well as people in the vicinity. The steel legs of such barricades become projectiles on impact, and may hit people in the vicinity, causing significant injuries and damage. They are also relatively heavy and difficult to transport from site to site.
Plastic barricades known in the art are easier to transport and set up. However, they have the disadvantage of being more likely to topple over in high winds, and also being susceptible to damage on impact. Wind gusts can cause the legs of pivoted barricades to move towards one another, thus reducing their stability until eventually they fall over. In order to avoid this problem, plastic barricades have sometimes been ballasted with sand or sand bags.